Page 18 of Assassin's Mark
Chapter Ten
“I think blurry’s a good look on you, brother.”
Of course the image was blurry—my father only hired the best, and I assumed that went for hit men too. Levi would’ve known where the cameras were and how to avoid them.
Too bad I hadn’t known to avoidhim.
The surveillance photo showed us in the hall of the club. Even with the grainy quality, it was enough to draw up the memory,to feel the visceral reaction to that moment in my muscles all over again. I’d wanted Levi so much, and the emotion was plain on my face, right there for everyone to see. A stupid girl fascinated with the man looming over her.
I should be used to it, the humiliation. I guess I should be thankful they hadn’t released the nude photos I knew my father had received, but I wasn’t. I couldn’t be, notwhen everything inside me screamed that the man in that press conference, the man who was supposed to protect and love me, didn’t. He hadn’t reached out to my kidnapper, asked for demands. No, he’d gone straight to the media, a preemptive attack, with me still in the line of fire.
I existed only for two powerful, dangerous men to argue over, apparently. My fingers itched with the urge to strikeout—at Levi, the TV, Eli. It didn’t matter what the target was as long as I could be the one to choose it.
“We believe this individual lured Ms. Roslyn out of the establishment and took her to a secondary location,” the man standing to the left of my father at the podium was saying. A suit and tie and the badge dangling from a thin chain around his neck proclaimed him either an investigator orsomeone from the PR office at the local PD. “Anyone downtown last night, in the area between First Street and Colonnade, might have spotted something. Call the number at the bottom of your screen should you have any information. We are considering the suspect armed and dangerous, however, and ask that anyone with a lead keep their distance. Do not try to interfere with this man under any circumstances.”
The angle of the camera looked over Levi’s shoulder, revealing no more than his jawline and cheekbone. Dark hair, broad shoulders. Pretty generic. I didn’t think they’d be getting any reports of sightings based on it. How many tall, dark-haired, broad-shouldered men had been at the Full Moon last night?
My guess? At least a hundred.
Onscreen, a hand went up in the audience. “Other than the photo,do you have any further leads at this time?”
The officer frowned. Was he really looking for me, or was he another pawn for my father to use? “We cannot comment on that directly.”
Another hand. “Councilman Roslyn, do you believe this kidnapping is related to your gubernatorial candidacy?”
My father adopted an appropriately contrite expression. I had to hand it to him—it even reached his eyes.
“Yes, we do. The timing is not a coincidence. But make no mistake.” He stared directly into the camera, wearing the same sincere, intense mask that always made an appearance when he was in public. I shuddered. “My daughter’s safety is my first priority. She should be returned to her family, not used as a pawn.”
“Does that mean you will withdraw from the race, Councilman?”
“Of course not. Wedon’t give in to terrorist threats.”
So much for me being first priority. Of course, it hadn’t escaped my notice that a murdered daughter would do more for my father’s campaign than a kidnapped daughter. The sympathy vote was a powerful element in any election.
Eli crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell me you covered your ass, Levi.”
“I’m the one who taught you, remember?”
I tucked that bitof info away to think about later. “But you said he hired you, right? So he knows who you are.”
Levi shook his head, his eyes still intent on the screen. “No such luck, little bird. He knows what I look like and how to contact me. Not the same thing.”
“And he has all the resources money can buy. How long before he figures the rest out about you?”
“Long enough.”
“Do you intend to kill me?”
I hadn’t meant to ask. I mean, who really wanted to know ahead of time that they would die when their captor finished toying with them? But my tightly strung nerves couldn’t wait any longer.
“We don’t kill the innocent,” Eli barked. “That’s what got us in hot water in the first place.”
Levi slashed a hand at his brother. “Shut the fuck up.”
Eli didn’t, though. “We’re not the ones you need toworry about, Abby. Just consider this a vacation from your life. You’ll get back to the real thing soon enough.”
“A vacation where I’m drugged and humiliated?” A strangled laugh escaped. “It’ll take more than words to reassure me of my safety, Eli.”
